the wild folk meet the spring with changed
appearance--beautiful, fantastic or ugly to us; all, perhaps, beautiful to
them and to their mates.

As a rule we find the conditions which exist among ourselves reversed
among the animals; the male "blossoms forth like the rose," while the
female's sombre winter fur or feathers are reduplicated only by a thinner
coat for summer. The "spring opening" of the great classes of birds and
animals is none the less interesting because its styles are not set by
Parisian modistes.

The most gorgeous display of all is to be found among the birds, the
peacock leading in conspicuousness and self-consciousness. What a contrast
to the dull earthy-hued little hen, for whose slightest favour he neglects
food to raise his Argus-eyed fan, clattering his quill castanets and
screaming challenges to his rivals! He will even fight bloody battles with
invading suitors; and, after all, failure may be the result. Imagine the
feelings of two superb birds fighting over a winsome browny, to see
her--as I have done--walk off with a spurless, half-plumaged young cock!

The males of many birds, such as the scarlet tanager and the indigo
bunting, assume during the winter the sombre green or brown hue of the
female, changing in spring to a glorious scarlet and black, or to an
exquisite indigo colour respectively. Not only do most of the females of
the feathered world retain their dull coats throughout the year, but some
deface even this to form feather beds for the precious eggs and nestlings,
to protect which bright colours must be entirely foregone.

The spring is the time when decorations are seen at their best. The snowy
egret trails his filmy cloud of plumes, putting to shame the stiff
millinery bunches of similar feathers torn from his murdered brethren.
Even the awkward and querulous night heron exhibits a long curling plume
or two. And what a strange criterion of beauty a female white pelican must
have! To be sure, the graceful crest which Sir Pelican erects is
beautiful, but that huge, horny "keel" or "sight" on his bill! What use
can it subserve, aesthetic or otherwise? One would think that such a
structure growing so near his eyes, and day by day becoming taller, must
occupy much of his attention.

The sheldrake ducks also have a fleshy growth on the bill. A turkey
gobbler, when his vernal wedding dress is complete, is indeed a remarkable
sight. The mass of wattles, usually so gray and shrunken